ASUS and NVIDIA were the first to demonstrate Android 4.0 on a tablet and now it appears they will be the first to deliver the update to customers who purchased the Transformer Prime. Today ASUS announced on their Facebook page that the Transformer Prime would receive Android 4.0 via an over the air update starting January 12th.

Other news released today addressed the locked bootloader and GPS issues that some users have been reporting with the Transformer Prime. ASUS said they are developing an unlock tool for the modding community (similar to what HTC did last year) and they expect to release it in the coming months.

As for the GPS issues, ASUS just released a software update (version 8.8.3.33) that enhances the performance, but they admit the Transformer Prime is not a professional GPS device. ASUS said, “To avoid inconveniencing users who demand a powerful GPS device, we made the decision to remove it from our specification sheet and marketing communications.”

The Transformer Prime continues to sold out at most retailers, but normal inventory levels are expected later this month. It’s been about one month since we first unboxed the Transformer Prime and it remains to be my favorite Android tablet. ASUS has already delivered two software updates in the first month and this quick upgrade to Android 4.0 shows their commitment to providing excellent customer support.

Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One as his daily devices. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. | Ethics statement

Most Tweeted This Week

AsakuraZero

that was a fast responose, but as i said and i will repeat here, they need to do a nice warranty explanation on HOW the unlocking void the warranty, because having 100 dead pixels on my prime and its unlocked its not the same shit, or they want another angry XDA people with torches and pitchforks?

Dirge

Wait,that was you on their Facebook post? If you noticed it had so many dead pixels, why didn’t you exchange it right away? Why wait so long to do so?

redraider133

Why not just relock the bootloader and then return it?

stenzor

well, it’s really their choice on how they want to word the company policy.. If they want to say that the warranty is void if you unlock it, they can do that since they make the rules. I agree that it shouldn’t be that way, but that’s the way it is.

AsakuraZero

@dirge yes it was me, but i was giving an EXTREME example, dead pixels doesnt show always as soon you use the hardware they can just start top pop out, my ROG laptop suffered from that, sadly 6 months after i purchased it so im pretty much screwed.

so its POSSIBLE to have a 100 dead pixel attack lol.

@stenzor you are right im just saying that they should be “Fair” on how the void the warranty thats all

http://www.neilcalvin.com Neil Calvin

Service plans.

LukeT32

IMO dead pixels is a hardware issue. So it shouldn’t matter if its unlocked or not.

http://sean-the-electrofreak.blogspot.com/ Sean the Electrofreak

Honestly, I think locking the bootloader was one of the dumbest things that manufacturers could have started to do, and it’s not surprising they’re going the other direction now.

Locking a bootloader isn’t going to stop people trying to root, it’s just going to increase the chances of people bricking their phones and costing carriers who can’t really prove that it was bricked by a unlock/root attempt.

Leaving a bootloader unlocked and making rooting a low-risk process means less warranty bullshit for everyone.

xray49er

Great news all around. Now just waiting for ups

http://sean-the-electrofreak.blogspot.com/ Sean the Electrofreak

Can’t wait to get mine! Very glad to hear that a bootloader unlock is in the works (a lot of people were pretty disappointed when they found that ASUS had locked it) and it’s also good to hear that they’ve addressed the concerns about GPS performance.

http://sean-the-electrofreak.blogspot.com/ Sean the Electrofreak

Wow, I was so excited about the bootloader that I missed the part about it getting ICS!

…I think I just had a nerdgasm. I win a Transformer Prime (and more!) from A&M, and now I find that the bootloader is going to be unlocked, and it’s getting ICS!

You guys really, really made my holidays.

mojomoney

So damn jealous.

http://sean-the-electrofreak.blogspot.com/ Sean the Electrofreak

A lot of downrank hate for people that were so giving with the upranks and “good luck everyone”s during the giveaways.

Kinda sad, really.

BiGMERF

omg great news !!!! not regretting my purchase one bit !!! now lets just hope it all comes true !!

WlfHart

Excellent news indeed. I’m glad they are catering to the community! Just wish one would pop up in stock around me…

madtnotn

Nice. This is great info. I was concerned about the locked bootloader,

mustybooks

Well that didn’t take long at all! Shouldn’t have happened in the first place mind!

mustybooks

January 12th should mean us non-US folks should get ICS from the off! :D

jenskristian

Great job Asus!

http://whysoangrybirds.com mikeyDroid

Now you can all untie your panties!

redraider133

Wonder when they will update the original transformer.

jeff.j1990

ASUS is doing a great job with the updates! They need support people!

amgala

This is why the Android community is great. We come together to promote fairness. I wonder if such tactics would work against Apple by the Apple community?

David Hughes

I get my Prime today and was happy to hear this message, I had thought about sending it back and wait till an unlocked tablet from someone else in the next few months,but will hang on to it now

TaoRenCe

All the other Android tablet and smartphone makers need to take note. This is how you handle updates. Big ups to Asus! I hope you are rewarded with new customers for your efforts.

Thomas MacDougall

The Transformer prime is back to having almost no flaws

uknowme

This is great news! Now when I’m finally able to get a 64GB Prime from Best Buy it should have ICS.

Hall Lo

Aha! Very nice ASUS :) Good job as always!

http://www.infotainmentempire.com pekosROB

One good thing to come out of being backordered til the end of the month… at least I will have ICS on it when it gets shipped! Assuming no delays and setbacks from Asus of course.

droilfade

One more example of companies starting to listen to their customers. Already seems like a good year to me :) I hope this continues. Saying “Customer is king” is not enough, the power to make your count should be given. That’s the only way to have a perfectly symbiotic relationship.

Mark Barlog

Greatness, now we need the original transformer updated as well.

classic_hero

i really want this tablet, but i have no money :(

M3rc Nate

Loving it all.

Taylor: Can you please do a new review of the Transformer Prime once it has got ICS? Just about the differences and battery life and what not.

Cause im waiting until it gets ICS and the general consensus is that there are no new bugs from the new OS. Maybe ICS will affect the WIFI problem…id love to know how battery charge life changes.

http://androidandme.com Taylor Wimberly

Planning to publish my review before CES.

Taylor

A watched pot never boils, but what about a diligent watch waiting for UPS. Today’s the day and I’m itching for my new toy and the excitement is boiling over. (See what I did there?)

Nathan D.

Hopefully the unlock tool will come quickly, and I’m loving there support for this tablet.

inviolable

What about the original :\

droiddewd

That’s what I was wondering too. I hope this means the OG TF gets some ICS love soon also. Plz :O)

Billy

An unlock tool and Android 4.0!!! I take back all those mean things I said about you Asus … and I still love my eeepc.

johnnycsx

This was awesome. Thanks to everyone who helped spread the message and demand an unlock. We all made this happen!

Oscar Ortega

ill just wait for the nexus tablet. if its true,

http://theinternet-allofit.blogspot.com Jorge Branco

The GPS is a little bit of a cop out. But they deserve all the praise in the world for unlocking the bootloader and getting ICS out so quickly.

aranea

Then this one goes top of my list of possible tablets to purchase.

Slith

Why oh why did Amazon backorder me to February?

lokidokie

To be safe? So that if they do happen to get it by Jan, then you’ll be happy. Whereas if they don’t get it until Feb, at least you won’t be disappointed. =

androidaustralia.com.au

Very exciting :)

lokidokie

All good things

Trinhbo

Asus did not address the GPS issues. They simply enabled the ‘use wifi’ checkbox by default in their recent software update. And a lot of people still says the GPS does not work correctly. In fact it works so poorly that they caved and removed the GPS as a feature of this device.

It painfully reminds me of the crappy GPS with the Samsung Galaxy S. iirc, it was also a Broadcom chip. Sucks because I think it’s a hardware problem and no Roms could truly fix it.

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